Several mitigation actions are being implemented to curb pressures off these forests and maintain their ecological integrity. Approaches such as Participatory Forest management (PFM), where local communities have a vital role in conserving their forests, are promoted to sustainably manage the forests while benefiting communities living closest to it. The Reduction of Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), a framework created by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP), is another mechanism that is largely implemented in SW Ethiopia where reduced emissions from the forest sector are promoted along with the sustainable management of forests and the conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
The impacts of such approaches (i.e., PFM and REDD+) are expected to be evaluated through a measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) system, to establish evidence on successes and where applicable, request result-based payments for reduced emissions from avoided deforestation and forest degradation. However, acquiring information on forest changes and drivers of change is often challenging as much of it happens in remote areas, far from the eyes. In addition, the issue of capacity, both in terms of financial and technical sense highly restricts the information that can be gathered and communicated to design timely responses.
